Damien Welch - A rib injury saw the lock miss his first game of the season last weekend and he now awaits a fitness test.

Anton Peikrishvili - A lower back problem means the Georgian prop forward is yet to feature this season.

Kirby Myhill - The hooker has picked up a hand injury which keeps him out of action

Dillon Lewis - A back spasm issue for the young prop.

Dragons

Hallam Amos - It’s been great to see him back after nine months out with shoulder damage, but a dead leg picked up during his two-try display against Southern Kings makes him a doubt for the derby clash with the Blues.

Ashton Hewitt - The speedster winger, who missed the second half of last season with concussion issues, has been in a protective boot this week after suffering an ankle knock versus the Kings.

Zane Kirchner - The Springbok full-back dislocated his shoulder in the victory over Connacht and won’t be seen on the park again for some three months.

Thretton Palamo - No sooner had the centre arrived on loan from Bristol to cover for injuries than he suffered a suspected broken foot!

Sam Hobbs - One of the Dragons’ best players last season, they have missed him as he has battled to recover from a knee problem.

Nic Cudd - Damaged knee ligaments in a friendly against Glasgow in August and will miss pretty much the whole season.

Rynard Landman - Calf trouble forced the second row to pull out of the meeting with his Southern Kings countrymen.

Harrison Keddie - Shoulder surgery will rule out the highly rated young No 8 until at least late November.

Lewis Evans - The stalwart Dragons skipper is yet to feature so far this season due to Achilles tendon trouble.

Jared Rosser - The young wing has had an abdomen problem and faces a fitness test ahead of the Blues game.

Pat Howard - Just the one outing so far this term for the versatile threequarter due to a quad problem.

Carl Meyer - The South African-born utility back hurt a thigh muscle in training this week.

Gerard Ellis - A summer signing from London Irish, the hooker had a fractured cheekbone.

Tavis Knoyle - The Welsh international scrum-half is out for the season with knee damage.

Sam Beard - Sidelined for the past month with a chest muscle injury.

Charlie Davies - Concussion is the issue for the ex-Wasps scrum-half.

Rhys Buckley - Back problem. An occupational hazard for a hooker.

Adam Hughes - A foot injury for the experienced threequarter.

Robson Blake - The young No 8 has a collarbone complaint.

Ospreys

Dmitri Arhip - The Moldovan prop missed the second half of last term with shoulder damage and

suffered a re-occurence in the pre-season game against Bath. A big loss.

Ashley Beck - Has just had no luck with injuries during his career and it’s his shoulder that’s the latest issue. Yet to play this season.

Hanno Dirksen - The winger has had a lot of knee trouble over the years and it’s kept him off the field again so far this term.

Eli Walker - Another player who has been plagued by injury, mainly to his hamstring. Now it’s his back keeping him out.

Owen Watkin - No regional rugby since May 2016 due to serious knee damage. But happily back playing with Bridgend.

Brian Mujati - Signed on for another year in May, but hasn’t figured yet this term because of a shoulder issue.

Rory Thornton - Started the league opener against Zebre, but a shoulder injury has kept the lock out since then.

Brendon Leonard - No rugby yet this term for the All Blacks scrum-half due to a foot problem.

Dafydd Howells - The winger hasn’t figured due to a shoulder injury.

Luke Price - A foot problem for the outside-half.

Scott Baldwin - Hand. Lion-related incident.

Scarlets

James Davies - The one big injury for the Scarlets so far this season. Will be out until early December after shoulder surgery.

John Barclay - Fellow back rower Barclay will miss the Ospreys game after picking up a HIA a couple of weeks ago.

Rob Evans - Also likely to miss the west Wales derby with a head injury.

Samson Lee - Picked up a HIA against Edinburgh.

Gareth Davies - Same story. HIA.

Will Boyde - And another HIA!

To be honest, I never really pay much attention to the amount of injuries what side has, but this seams an awful lot, all at one time, is this normal ?

There are almost 50 injured players between the 4 regions, surely something must be wrong somewhere to be getting all the injuries.

Last week you debated that the Dragons were all but bringing the game into disrepute by the team they put out at Ulster, Andy, would you not say he article you wrote above undermines that stance a little?

According to Dai Young (there is a bit of an injury crisis in the English top flight too) his theory on the reason for the greater prevalence of injuries at this early stage of the season is the new experimental laws (are they experimental/trials, or permanent?!). He reckons that the laws have been brought in to speed the game up, make it look more attractive, reduce the amount of kicking and keep the ball in play more, but what this amounts to is more contacts, collisions and tackles. An extra 50 collisions per game he reckons.

Last week you debated that the Dragons were all but bringing the game into disrepute by the team they put out at Ulster, Andy, would you not say he article you wrote above undermines that stance a little?

I'd love you to debate otherwise.

No, because a lot of injuries have happened after or during the Ulster game. Not before.

Last week you debated that the Dragons were all but bringing the game into disrepute by the team they put out at Ulster, Andy, would you not say he article you wrote above undermines that stance a little?

I'd love you to debate otherwise.

No, because a lot of injuries have happened after or during the Ulster game. Not before.

P.S grow up and stop calling me Andy.

Apart from being factually incorrect if you look at the list and the number of players injured prior to the Ulster game, the number who were then injured v Ulster kind of shows why you have to rotate your squad, Andy. It is a sport of collisions and Dragons are one of he smallest pro teams out there. Only an imbecile would deny the need to mine squad depth the the maximum to manage a squad through today's never-ending season, particularly on a limited budget.

Last week you debated that the Dragons were all but bringing the game into disrepute by the team they put out at Ulster, Andy, would you not say he article you wrote above undermines that stance a little?

I'd love you to debate otherwise.

No, because a lot of injuries have happened after or during the Ulster game. Not before.

P.S grow up and stop calling me Andy.

Eddie baby, shouldn't the title read "crises"?On second thoughts, it's probably correct. Could've left out the two middle words though.

'The suggestion is the new laws at tackle and ruck time are contributing to the problem, with fewer players committing to the breakdown meaning more ball in play time, more men in the defensive line and more big collisions.'

If we only allowed say 4 substitutes for tactical reasons and the other 4 would only be for injury, verified by an independent doctor, it would help.

Props these days, are only 45-50 minute men.Make them play 80 mins and spaces will appear and teams will have to change tactics

Good shout geoff. Also, I reckon they should allow more subs. But not allow already subbed players to be brought back on.

If you had a replacement for all specialised positions, I don't know, all front row cover, all scum half and outside half cover, say two or three of each, and then some others of your choice, but you are only allowed to change each player once. This should stop the injuries.

Unfortunately pro rugby players are becoming too homogenous. One of the things I've traditionally loved about rugby, in both the amateur game and top flight, is the ethos of a position or role for all shapes and sizes. The mismatches really made the game. Small quick players spotting a fatty in midfield and being able to exploit the space and create an overlap. Equally, the fatties then getting their revenge by turning up on the wing and steamrolling a small winger. But the pro game has lead to an arms race for wingers who can hold their own against forwards in defence and forwards fit enough to keep pace with the backs. And so we have teams developing and/or splashing the big cash for big, supremely fit, strong and athletic forwards and backs, which leads to players packing on the bulk in order to stand out and secure a contract. And we're getting to a point where the lines are blurred and we have forwards and backs with similar stature, weight, strength, etc. So instead of a game of mismatches leading to gaps and space we have a game based on collisions and winning collisions and the speed a team can recycle the ball after collisions. And as such with faster, heavier players colliding more, and with connective tissue not being any stronger than it ever was, we're bound to see more injuries. Too late to turn back now though I think. We can't exactly say that teams have to employ only fat (and not muscly fat) props, and wingers under 13 stone! It's a product of the pro game and subsequent arms race for the competitive edge, IMO. It's all gone a bit rugby league.

My nephew is currently playing flanker for Abercynon. He is 16 years old, and he is already touching six foot and he is built like a brick shoite house.

Cardiff Blues have come in and asked him to start playing in the front row ???????

What is all that about ?

Understandably he is not very happy, and neither are his parents, the kid has been enjoying his rugby in the back row, now all of a sudden, he needs to start changing his game that he has been playing since a young kid.

If he ends up in the front row, and if he keeps growing, and the speed he can get up to, littler scrum halves, wingers, outside halves and even smaller props need to look out. Gone are the days where you can dodge and sidestep a prop forward.

My nephew is currently playing flanker for Abercynon. He is 16 years old, and he is already touching six foot and he is built like a brick shoite house.

Cardiff Blues have come in and asked him to start playing in the front row ???????

What is all that about ?

Understandably he is not very happy, and neither are his parents, the kid has been enjoying his rugby in the back row, now all of a sudden, he needs to start changing his game that he has been playing since a young kid.

If he ends up in the front row, and if he keeps growing, and the speed he can get up to, littler scrum halves, wingers, outside halves and even smaller props need to look out. Gone are the days where you can dodge and sidestep a prop forward.

Will they be asking him to bulk up too, so and he'll lose half a yard of pace? That's what often happens doesn't it? Maybe some control should be introduced to prevent players bulking up too much for their own good. In relation to height too possibly. Dunno, just thinking out loud. Been watching Rygbi Pawb recently and games involving the not so big younger players seem far more entertaining than the bish-bash pro stuff on offer.

Lord, going back a good ten years I had a mate who was picked up my the Scarlets. He played fly half, and had a similar physical shape, and game style as Steve Jones (blatantly nowhere near as good, but definitely a fly half/centre) however they tried to convert him to a loosehead! He got told to bulk up, and in the end he told them to get stuffed and pretty much stopped playing Rugby full stop.

Not sure if many of you will remember Nathan Williams, a tighthead, who was a the Dragons a few seasons ago? He was a similar story. A really promising back rower, told in the Llanelli academy that he would be a good prop. And then his career pretty much stalled.

I know we want front row players with skills, but it makes more sense to teach all kids the skills as kids, rather than raising loads of fly halves and flankers, only to ‘convert’ them.